Metal wheel.



J. w. MURRAYL METAL WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1909.

941,030. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

ATTO/PA/EX UNEE snares PATENT race.

Il'OHN W. llIURRAY, OF KNOX, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB TO KNOX METAL WHEEL COMPANY, OF KNOX, INDIANA.

METAL WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 19 09.

i0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jorn W. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Knox, in the county of Starke and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Vtheels, of which the following, when taken in connection with the drawing accompanying and forming a part hereof, is a full and complete description, suflicient to enable those skilled in the art to which it pertains to understand, make, and use the same.

This invention relates particularly to the hubs of metal wheels.

The object of the invention is to obtain a metal hub formed or pressed up from ductile sheet metal, as soft sheet steel, brass or other like material, which can be readily assembled and all the spokes used therewith can be readily joined thereto at the time the hub is assembled.

Other objects sought by me are fully set forth in the description and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing referred to Figure l is a side elevation of a metal wheel embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a wheel embodying the invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the elements of the device termed by me a tension retainer. Fig. A is a plan view of one of the elements of the device termed by ,me a spoke retainer. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a rectangular sheet provided with projections forced out from the body thereof which is formed up to make a tube forming an element in the device. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the tube formed up from the sheet illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the tube illustrated in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an elevation of one end of a hub embodying this invention, and of the ends of the spokes which are attached to said hub. Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8, viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

It will be observed that Figs. 3 to 9, all inclusive are on a scale which is enlarged 7 from the scale of Figs. 1 and 2.

A reference letter applied to indicate a given part is used to designate such part throughout the several figures of the drawing wherever the same appears.

A, Fig. 5, is a rectangular piece of sheet metal having projections a, a, forced out from the body thereof and A, is-a tube obtained by forming up the sheet A.

B, Fig. 8, is a tension retainer. Tension retainer B is provided with aperture 6, the diameter of which is substantially the same as the outside diameter of the tube A, so that such part B may be slid over the end of the tube A up to and against the projections a, as is shown in Fig. 9. The tension retainer B is also provided with radially extending arms b which are ultimately bent on the broken lines Z), 79", as and for the purpose hereinafter described.

It will be observed that the retainer B may be rotated on tube A but that it can not be moved longitudinally thereon, except to contact with projections a.

C are spokes provided with bent ends C and heads C.

D, Fig. at, is a spoke retainer of the device. Spoke retainer D is provided with the aper- .ture cl and such aperture is provided with recesses (Z corresponding in number and position with the projections a. on tube r so that such retainer D maybe moved along on the tube A over the'projcctions a, to substantially the position thereof illustrated in Fig. 9. Vhen the retainer D is in position on tube A with the projections a in recesses d such retainer D cannot be turned or rotated on tube A.

(ZN are apertures in retainers D in which apertures the bent ends C of the spokes C are placed.

E, is the rim or felly of the wheel and is provided with apertures in which the spokes -C are placed when the several parts of the device are assembled. The heads C of the spokes will not pass through the apertures .in the rim Eso that thespokes may be put to a tensile strain when the device is assembled.

To assemble the several parts of the device the spokes C are placed in the rim E; one of the retainers D is placed on the tube A and the bent ends of the spokes which are to be held by such retainers are put into the apertures d. The retainer D may at this time be in about the position illustrated in Fig. 9. The retainer B is then put on the end of the tube A and the retainer D is forced toward the retainer B until the spokes C which are held in such retainer D are between the radial arms Z) and against the side of the retainer D; at which time the several arms Z) are bent as indicated by the broken lines 5 and b, to maintain the retainer D in its position. Radial arms I) may be bent into substantially the position thereof illustrated by the full lilies in Fig. 9 before such retainer is placed on the end of the tube B, if preferred. The final bend of such arms b into substantially the position thereof indicated by the broken lines Z) in Fig. 9 is made after the retainer D is brought near to contact with the retainer B, as last above described. At the time the projections a on the tube A are in recesses (Z the retainer D cannot be turned on the tube, while at the same time the retainer B cannot be moved any nearer the center of the tube than against the ends of projections a, so that such retainers are rigidly held in their determined position on the tube. An additional retainer D may then be put on the tube A and the ends of the remaining spokes of the wheel brought into engagement therewith, in the manner above described, after which such additional retainer D may be forced toward an additional retainer B placed on the remaining end of such tube and against the projections a 011 said end. The lines Z2, 6 to retain such retainer D in its position, with the spokes C between such arms 6. The last named forcing of the retainer D against the retainer B, puts the spokes C of the wheel under a tensile strain, and a strong, rigid, durable and sightly wheel hub is obtained.

As is shown in F ig. 1, (and well known in the art) where a given spoke goes to one end of the hub the next spoke goes to the other end thereof, and hence one spoke is advanced from the other around the hub. To enable this effect to be obtained in the device embodying this invention the recesses (Z are not placed equi-distant from any two of the spoke apertures d, but are nearer to one than to any other thereof. The number of spokes provided for in the illustrated device is sixteen, eight at each end of the hub, and by placing the same side of retainer D on the outside at each end of the tube A the apertures 6 will be in the right position arms Z) are then bent onwhen the projections a are in the recesses (Z to bring the spokes into radial position at each end of the hub.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of spokes, a tube provided with projections adjacent to the ends thereof, a spoke retainer provided with apertures arranged to receive the ends of the spokes and provided with a central aperture having recesses corresponding with the tube and projections thereon, and an additional retainer having radial arms thereon and provided with a central aperture corresponding with the outside diameter of the tube and arranged to fit over the tube against the ends of the projections on the tube, the spokes arranged between the arms of the additional retainer and such arms bent to retain the first named retainer in position with the recesses in the central aperture thereof over the projections on the tube.

2. The combination of spokes, a tube provided with projections adjacent to the ends thereof, spoke retainers respectively provided with apertures arranged to receive the ends of corresponding spokes and provided with central apertures having recesses corresponding with the tube and projections thereon, such recesses arranged nearer to one of the spoke apertures than to the remainder thereof, and additional retainers having radial arms thereon and provided with central apertures corresponding with the outside diameter of the tube and arranged to fit over the tube, at the ends thereof and against the ends of the projections on the tube, the spokes arranged between the arms of the additional retainers and such arms bent to retain the first named retainers in position with the recesses in the central aperture thereof over the projections on the tube, and with the spokes at one end of the tube midway between the spokes at the other end. of such tube.

JOHN WV. MURRAY.

In the presence of GLENN D. PETERS, CHARLES H. Frames. 

